The Night Beast
Darkness came over the land. The beast was slumbering…
The Knight and Fair Lady prepared for battle for they knew the beast would soon wake.
The beast was neither large nor strong, but it could destroy a couple of adults with its powers. ‘We must rest before it wakes.’ said Knight.
They were barely into their first dream when the beast stirred and squeaked. Knight shot out of bed to prepare the white serum. The correct ratios and temperature were crucial. The mixture could be used to sedate the beast — for up to a few hours.
The squeak became a screech. Knight heard Fair Lady stepping towards the beast, alone and unarmed. The screech became a shriek.
Knight bolted back to Fair Lady, unsure if the serum had been fully prepared. He had no choice — He met her at the foot of its cave and handed over the serum.
‘Good luck’ he whispered and retreated back to bed.
They didn’t dare to both face the beast at once. It was far too risky.
Another rumble and another grumble woke Knight and Fair Lady. ‘Noooo! Already?’ said Fair Lady looking at the clock. Knight knew the serum would be a useless weapon this time. He grabbed another implement - one designed to block the strength-zapping sounds from escaping the beast’s mouth.
He crept to the cave, lunged at the beast and shoved the implement into its mouth. He held it for a few seconds. Its eyes closed over, powerless against this weapon. ‘Got ya!’ said Knight. He swiveled and strutted back in the dark, pumping his fist. But at the foot of the cave, he struck one of the beast’s belongings. Squeak! The beast woke, thrashing and wailing. The Knight felt his strength being sucked dry. He rummaged through his inventory and fumbled through their battle plan in his mind. It was no use. All the steps were muddled.
Everything he tried made the beast louder and louder. At last, he crumbled on the floor. Done for.
The sound of footsteps was sweet music. Fair lady swooped in and performed magic techniques on the beast. She had been born with this magic inside her. Knight had begged her to teach him this magic — but the magic was unteachable.
From the soft bed, Knight heard the shrieks stop. He must have gotten the mixture right. He closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep. The next watch would be his.
After a moment of unconsciousness, Knight woke and cupped his ear. Growl… growl... He looked at the clock. Surely the serum hadn’t worn off already. The beast belched, then became silent. He knew Fair lady had won the round. He drifted back to sleep before she returned — unscathed but depleted.
Within minutes, the beast was still and silent, but now both Knight and Fair Lady were weak. They staggered back to bed, closed their eyes and replenished their strength.
The screeches started again. Knight and fair lady sprang out of bed. ‘I’ve got this.’ said Knight.
‘Don’t forget you’ve got to be at the gold mine in a few hours’ said Fair Lady. The mine seemed of little importance compared to the battle raging before them.
‘Is the mercenary coming tomorrow?’ said Knight
‘Due at eleven.’ she said.
Knight returned to bed and left his fair lady battling alone once again.
The rising sun made things feel better. The knight looked at Fair Lady and they shared a smile. Another successful night.
The beast was gurgling and giggling. They rolled their eyes and leapt out of bed. Knight picked up the beast, gave him a big cuddle and flew him around the room like an eagle. The beast squealed and beamed. In an instant, the battles were forgotten.
‘Well, I’m off to work sweet heart’ said the knight. He gave Fair Lady a kiss. ‘What time’s your mom coming?’
‘Eleven’ she said.
‘Good, she’ll give you a rest.’ And she did.
When Knight returned from the mine, darkness came over the land. The beast was slumbering. Knight and Fair Lady prepared for battle for they knew the beast would soon wake.
THE END
Being a new parent can be tough. Real tough. I remember thinking ‘What’s wrong with me? Why does it take all my energy just to scrape through the day and flop into bed at 7:30 pm?
*Image submitted by author
And I knew I had the easier job. My wife was the one doing the hard yards. I so badly wanted to help but many times but I felt powerless because there were some things I wasn’t good at and some things I just couldn’t do. I couldn’t produce milk no matter how hard I tried. (Don’t worry, I didn’t try very hard)
But even through the fog, there were moments to get us through. A smile here. A giggle there. A little hand grabbing a pinky or a stretch of peaceful sleep that gave us just enough energy to cope with the next onslaught.
I also want to encourage you not to lose sight of the value and importance of the job you’re doing. You are caring for a little one whom God created and has infinite love for. Although you don’t always hear the following verse in this context, I believe when you get to heaven, you’ll hear Jesus say;
“... ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did it for me.’” Matthew 25:40 NIV
So if you’re finding it tough, hang in there. Even though it may not sound appealing, a difficult season is a chance to grow. When you look back, you’ll realize you are able to cope with more than you thought.
“Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” James 1:4 NIV
Don’t be afraid to ask for help when you need it. My wife was hesitant to ask me to do things because she didn’t want to burden me with them. But that’s actually what I was longing to do. It would actually charge me up when I had ways to contribute and it made me feel like I was fulfilling my purpose. So if you have a partner or friend or family member, try telling them what you need. They’re probably more keen to help than you realize.
Anyway, I hope this little story gave you a smile. Focus on the lovely moments. Those brief moments when your little one stops screaming and looks lovingly into your eyes or sleeps peacefully in your arms. My wife and I often looked through photos of our little one after a tough day. Just seeing that cute face brought us so much joy.
